//------------------------------// // The Battle // Story: Life after Death // by Weisted Machine //------------------------------// As Silver Dasher and Fluttershy neared home, Sky Bridge came rushing to them, she seemed in a hurry and her eyes are lighted with fury. "Sky Bridge?" Fluttershy asked. "Unicorns are casting spells to walk on clouds, and for wings too" Sky Bridge snarled. Fluttershy and Silver Dasher exchanged glances. "And since most of our members are wounded, we need more fighters. Fluttershy, Silver, can you fight!?" Sky Bridge looked at the two. Silver quickly looked at Fluttershy before responding. "yes, we can!" She said. "GOOD! LET'S GO!" Sky bridge said before flying off, with FLuttershy and Silver trailing behind her. The Pegasis sped through the air, the wind whipped throught their mane and their wings folded in an arch. A beam of light then shot throught the middle of them. The Pegasus immediatly paused as the beam faded away. Looking down was a green unicorn, his black messy mane was flaring in all directions as the beam missed the Pegasi, but barely. Silver Dasher dove down and knocked the unicorn off his hooves. Just as the pony fell, she rose him high into the air. His hooves flailed in all directions as Silver Dasher released her grip, letting him fall past the clouds. “Come on guys, we must hurry!” Sky Bridge called, waving a hoof. Silver Dasher and Fluttershy flew side by side, veering through the clouds until they were in the heat of battle. Pegasi and unicorns fought, the horned ponies using their horns as a weapon, trying their best to stab through the Pegasus ponies. Just as a yellow unicorn stabbed her horn through the chest of a Pegasi, she was hauled off by a familiar looking face. The one of Orange Leaf. The other unicorn spun around on her hooves, giving him a big buck in the face. Orange Leaf flew backwards, stumbling, until his hooves fell off the clouds. He let out a cry as he fell. Fluttershy sped towards the almost unconsiounse body of Orange Leaf. Without thinking, she dove beneath him, and tried her best to fly up wards with as much power as she possessed. Her weak wings could barely hold the two of them, and the yellow Pegasus felt her strength quickly draining from her limbs. She let out a scream of terror as the broke that sent the two crashing towards the ground. Vinyl Scratch stomach knotted with anxiety as she thought of Fluttershy. Her head whipped around wildly in search for her mare friend, which was no where to be found. A hard kick then dug into her side, Vinyl stumbled down as she turned to see a pink Pegasi with black mane, her purple eyes glaring with the heat of battle. Vinyl then fired up her horn when an ear piercing scream broke through the sounds of combat, striking her ears. The scream was familiar. Vinyl then sat up, and looked over the edge of the cloud she perched on. A small yellow body raced towards the ground, her hooves flaying through the air as she fell. Vinyls heart raced with terror as she recognized her instantly. That was Fluttershy! “FLUTTERSHY!” Vinyl screamed as her marefriend fell from a height to high to survive. Fluttershy was a Pegasus, right? Why isn’t she flying? But that’s not important at the moment. “I don’t know how to do this …” Vinyl muttered to herself. “But I can TRY!” Vinyl said loudly as her horn glowed a red, that swirled towards her body, lifting her upwards. She felt new limbs grow into her back as the red air faded. Vinyl looked at her back to see two powerful wings unfurled. With a leap of faith, Vinyl jumped. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. The battle raging behind her, Fluttershy’s falling body, and herself, crashing through the air. ‘Come on COME ON!’ Vinyl thought to herself angrily as she flapped her wings, yet nothing. Vinyl pointed her hooves towards the ground as she caught speed, as she fell beside Fluttershy, she saw her cast a glance her, wondering what was with the wings. “Save him!” Fluttershy mouthed to her, before looking below her. An orange stallion too, was nearing the floor. Vinyl dove beneath him, and pressed her hooves against his back, trying her best to heave him up. That’s when her mind cleared. Why not use levitation? Vinyl looked down again. “Oh no!” She cried as the ground was soon 25 miles beneath them, and they were free falling at 50 miles per hour. With her horn, she stopped Fluttershy and the other stallion from proceeding to the ground, as herself fell. Just as the ground neared, Vinyl shut her eyes and prepared for another death when she landed on something soft, but firm. She opened her eyes a slight to see the pink Pegasi from earlier. She halted, and slowed her pace to the ground. Vinyl hopped off her back, as she as she slowly lowered Fluttershy and her friend. As she placed them gently on the ground, the pink pony turned to her. “Why are you helping us?” She asked Vinyl, eyeing her suspiciously. “She’s a friend …” Vinyl said uncomfortably. Fluttershy rushed up to the pink pony. “It’s true! We were good friends when we were alive” She shot Vinyl a desperate glance, begging her to play along. After a short pause, she piped up. “Yea! We were … Good friends!” Vinyl said sheepishly. “Oh, yea, Vinyl, this is Sky Bridge” Fluttershy said, putting a comforting hoof around Sky Bridge, who narrowed her eyes. “Why do you have wings?” She asked. “I was going to use them to save Fluttershy, until I found that I didn’t know how to fly” Vinyl said quietly, looking at the ground. Fluttershy let out a laugh as Sky Bridge facehoofed. "You risked your life ... to save one of ours ..." Sky Bridge said slowly. Vinyl nodded. Sky Bridge looked up, and gave her a brisk nod. Our herd thanks you ... Vinyl?" Sky Bridge cocked her head to the side. "Yes, Vinyl, and it is no problem" Vinyl said blinking. "Well we must return up there, Vinyl, you should go home" Sky Bridge said, looking back up at the clouds. Vinyl nodded, as she trotted off in a good mood.